


Richie and Eddie versus Social Media

by diabla616



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Coming Out, Eddie Kaspbrak Lives, Established Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, M/M, Social Media, Stanley Uris Lives, Twitter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21686107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diabla616/pseuds/diabla616
Summary: Richie really should be more careful with what he posts on Twitter.Eddie, naturally, handles the whole thing with his usual composure.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 11
Kudos: 451





	Richie and Eddie versus Social Media

Eddie K @EdKaspbrak 

Dating a skinny guy is cool and all until you’re cooking and you accidentally boil him with the noodles

Trashmouth Tozier @Trashmouth ✔ retweeted

Ha ha @EdKaspbrak. Just because my bf is _compact_

Eddie K @EdKaspbrak

@Trashmouth a) 5'9" is AVERAGE, asshole. b) how can you use text speak and correct punctuation in the same tweet? 

Trashmouth Tozier @Trashmouth✔

All the better to annoy u, my dear Eds. ♥️

Sara @sToms

@Tozier_fan have you SEEN this?!

Trash Stan @Tozier_fan

WHAT

Trash Stan @Tozier_fan

WHAT @Trashmouth✔

Tozier Trash @TozierTrash

Trashmouth got himself a bf? HEARTBROKEN!

* * *

>Twitter 11,158 new 

14:38

Richie, call me when you get this?

14:38

Rich, don't look at Twitter.

15:30

Fuck, I'm sorry.

* * *

14:43

RICH, ANSWER YOUR PHONE. NOW

<<STEVE (Bossman)>> calling

_Rich, if this is a bit you need to tell me now._

Uh- what? I actually haven't done anything in the last 24 hours. Unless you count the grocery store- those things _are_ pretty wild.

_You're trending on twitter. Asshole. I can only handle these things when you tell me what I'm handling. In advance._

Twitter? I- 

Shit.

_Yeah._

Fuck, how does it have so many retweets? I dont even have that many followers. Fuck.

_You did have a very public breakdown._

Fair.

_So, either you and 'Eds' just came out on Twitter, or you just made a joke at the expense of the entire Hollywood LGBT community..._

Fuck. I was not expecting that today. I- fuck.

_Gonna need an answer dude, I've already had reporters on the phone. You know damn well how long no comment holds them off._

I- (panicked breathing) 

_Rich, if you're not ready it's ok. I can make some calls, set you up with a hot date after your show next week and it'll blow over._

No, no I'm not doing that. Guess- guess I just came out on Twitter then?

* * *

14:50

Ben

14:50

BEN 

14:51

I fucked up. Richie isn't out, and now everyone's retweeting my stupid joke on twitter and he's not replying to me.

14:52

I can't deal with this. What do I do?

What if he hates me now?

<<BEV>> calling

_Calm down Eds. He doesn't hate you_

**_I dont think that's physically possible Eddie. Dont worry._ **

But I just outed him. And now everyone on the internet is talking about it. Fuck. I need my fucking inhaler.

_No you don't Eds. Richie loves you. He wont care._

Fuck- how do you deal with it?

**_Remember last month, when some gossip site published a picture of Bev and Stan with the rumour there was something going on?_ **

_That's because Stan is hot stuff, babe_

Don't listen to her Ben. Actually, do and then when Richie dumps me for humiliating him on Twitter we can run off together.

_Hands off Kaspbrak._

_And don't panic, okay?_

Easier said than done Bev.

_Look, Richie loves you. And he knows you love him too. You have no idea how much of a shitstorm he'd brave to keep that the status quo._

**_You sap._ **

Ben said it. 

_Asshole. Honestly, stop worrying. Go find something to occupy your time._

**_Stay off twitter._ **

Thanks guys.

* * *

19:45

Eds, you won't believe the day I've had, holy shit.

19:46

OMW home now. 20 mins ish

19:47

_Don't text and drive asshole._

19:48

What are you sorry about?

19:48

Eds?

<<Eddie>> calling

_I haven't heard from you ALL DAY, asshole._

Yeah, it's been a long day. Listen, Eds- 

_Richie I-_

Sorry, you first-

_No, go ahead_

I- yeah ok. Look, I know this wasn't something we'd discussed or anything, but. Well, I guess you saw Twitter already?

_Yeah_

Yeah? That's all?

_I don't know what more to say Rich. I'm sorry. For what it's worth I didn't realise that dumb joke would get so much attention._

Shit, no! Eds, _I'm_ not- Fuck, have you been worrying about this all day?

_Fuck you_

No, really? I'm sorry babe. I didn't think. 

_I'm ok now. I talked to Bev and Ben._

I'm glad you did. Ok, so I spoke to my manager, and well I wanted to talk to you first, but I thought I might come out?

Obviously you wouldn't have to be involved at all. I'd make sure they kept you off-limits.

_You'd do that?_

Anything for you Eddie baby

_Asshole._

_Obviously whatever you want I'm going to support you, but I do think it's a good idea. And - maybe not immediately, but I wouldn't be completely averse to going public. Maybe._

(Horn beeps loudly) 

Fuck, that's me. 

Holy shit- are you serious? I- honestly I thought that text earlier meant you were on a plane back to New York because you couldn't deal with all this crap.

_Well, I did almost run off with Ben, but Bev got there first._

You know what, I'm not even mad. I would run off with Ben too, honestly. 

_I'm not going anywhere, dickwad. I was apologising because it was my joke which put you in this position in the first place._

Eds, no, fuck no, it was me replying. I just didn't think about it. Like at all.

_And that's different from usual how?_

Oh, you're the comedian now?

_I'd do a better job I'm sure_

Eh, maybe. 

_Rich?_

Yeah

_You- you aren't mad are you?_

Mad? Why?

_Because it, I didnt mean this, it was just a dumb joke on twitter and I know you're not really ready to come out yet._

Oh Eds-

_Still not my name_

(Laughs) Eddie, ok, so you're right, I wasn't ready. I don't think I ever would have really been. It's a scary thought, like the fucking clown all over again

_(Laughs)_

And yeah it's not ideal because my manager still kind of thinks this is a bit, and my publicist is going to murder me for not giving her full creative control over my fucking coming out, but I think I- 

I've been thinking about doing this since the day I remembered you.

_Richie-_

Are you crying Eds?

_Fuck you, you cant just say things like that Rich, I-_

Love you too Eddie Spaghetti.

_You know I do._

* * *

Rumour has it that Richie Tozier is one of the fabled _good guys_ in Hollywood, and it doesn't exactly seem unfounded. 

I've interviewed Tozier before though, and at the time he was difficult; a little sad and lost and a lot evasive, almost impossible to pry a straight answer from. 

It's evident from the first that this is a _different_ Richie Tozier; he's bright-eyed and bushy tailed when we meet, despite the early hour, and there's an air of frenzied excitement about him totally at odds with his lackadaisical stage persona.

_I'm great,_ he volunteers when asked _who would have thought a crisis was just what I needed?_

Tozier has had a tough year; after months of on/off issues with alcohol he suffered a mid-show breakdown, which sparked rumours of more severe substance abuse issues - something which the comedian himself has completely denied. More recently, after a low-key return to the spotlight he came out in an unorthodox way - after a joke he made on Twitter caught the public eye.

**Let's talk about your last show, before you took some time out.**

_(laughs) I like that. Everyone keeps coming up with different ways to pussyfoot around the fact that I had a nervous breakdown onstage and disappeared for months._

**You must have given a few people quite a shock.**

_That's certainly one way to put it. You know, I walked off stage right in front of my manager. He was like (exaggerated New York accent) Rich, the fuck you think you're doing?! Get back here, you dont make money, I don't make money dipshit!_

_Which, I appreciated the honesty, but not the time. So I just kept on going, (laughs) and didn't go back for months._

**So, what _did_ actually happen?**

_Well, it wasn't drugs. And despite my stellar track record, it wasn't booze either. It's- uh, it's hard to explain really, but it turns out I actually had a really traumatic childhood, and then repressed it so hard I actually_ _forgot the whole thing._

_Well, earlier on that day I reconnected with a friend from childhood, and got some bad news, and I guess it just kind of - triggered a collapse? On stage, in front of everyone._

**That was ..not what I was expecting.**

_I know, right? Rumours of my coke habit have been greatly exaggerated. Though I don't blame people for speculating. I think even the people who know me, and_ know _I don't do any of that shit sort of thought I'd suddenly developed a coke habit overnight._

**You don't?**

_I know, weird, right? I've been around a while, and all the cool kids are doing it, but I just didn't. Booze and weed, sure, but nothing more than that._

_Looking back it makes sense, I guess I was worried about what it would dredge up, but at the time? Something just stopped me, every time._

_I sure as hell don't plan to start now either._

**What's next then?**

_New year new me, dude. Turns out therapy actually works once you know what you're repressing. These days I'm watching what I eat, what I drink, even working out. It's been good for me._

**You were trending on Twitter - how did that feel? Was it unnerving to see so many people talking about you?**

_Dude, I'm a professional comedian - like I made my living out of wanting people to pay attention to me. What part of that sounds like it's not something I'd enjoy?_

**But, being forced to come out?**

_Well, I'd be lying if I said it was something I planned, but I guess, I always knew it had to come out sometime. (a pause) Or I had to..._

_It's cool though. You know they always tell you these things are much scarier in your head than in practice._

**Was it?**

Fuck _no, I was terrified the first time I actually said_ I'mgay _on record._

_Although, apparently I was super obvious, so there's that._

**You were?**

_Yeah man, I mean I watch some of my older stuff these days and it's fucking funny how much I was overcompensating._

_For the record - anyone who watched my standup from like two, three years ago and believed that the girlfriend I talked about in all of them was a real person who actually existed -my friends are all_ very _disappointed in you right now. (laughs)_

_You know, the worst thing about coming out though? It never_ ends _._

**How so?**

_Like it feels- it feels so fucking final to say it, it took so much that it totally felt like that should be the end of it, you know._

_I feel better about myself now, which is not a place I imagined being in at the start of the year, so that's nice I guess (laughs)_

_But every so often now I'll meet some long-lost relative, or a friend I haven't seen in years, or even someone who lived under a rock for the past six months and never went on twitter, and I have to do the whole thing over again. And it's like- it's like either I make a big deal of it when they ask how I've been and go_ yeah, so I came out to the world on Twitter, how was your Spring break?

_Or the alternative is I dont make a big deal, and then they do when it comes up in conversation, which is - maybe worse?_

_Because no one ever just assumes, even those assholes who'll say '_ oh I knew all along he was queer' _after the fact, they don't just take it as a fact. So it's- it's a process. But I'm learning to be okay with it all_.

**So, let's talk about the tweet that started it all...**

_(Groans) Shit, let's not. Honestly, I'm a disaster. I wasn't on social media for so long, that now I just forget the audience it has. I didn't think anyone would pay attention._

Another thing it appears Tozier is reluctant to talk about is the elusive boyfriend mentioned in his tweet. 

_Not a chance man,_ he laughs when I broach the subject, _he would murder me in my sleep._

_Seriously though, it's different. I'm not only a public figure, I'm a comedian, which means I spend approximately 50% of my time talking about myself, and the other 50% of my time thinking of more shit to say about myself. It's not the same for him, he's not used to it._

_(Quieter) Also, this is new to me too. After everything, I guess I feel like I deserve a honeymoon period._

And this 'honeymoon period' certainly seems to have been good for him. Tozier, who has admitted to suffering from anxiety and depression in the past was in high spirits during the interview, and seemed more relaxed and confident than he has done in previous years. We wish him and his mystery man all the best.

**Richie 'Trashmouth' Tozier's Netflix special Trashmouth: All the things I couldn't say is released this month.**

* * *

**The loser's club**

**Bev:** [https://www.NowMag.com/interviews/Comedian-Richie-Tozier-tells-all-2019512](https://www.nowmag.com/interviews/Comedian-Richie-Tozier-tells-all-2019512)

Read 15:40

**Bev:** @Richie so proud of you ♥️

**Richie:** holy shit, that literally just went up.

**Richie:** are you stalking me Bevvy?

**Richie:** lol

**Bev:** Beep beep Richie.

**Ben:** Congrats Richie! 

**Mike:** that's a great piece.

**Bill:** www.mobile.twitter.com/hashtag/Trashmouth/?lang=en 

**Bill:** who is Trashmouth Tozier's Mystery Man? 🤔😂

**Richie:** alternatively a list of everyone I've spoken to since the day I came out...

**Richie:** fuck this. @Bev, you're the only person I'm speaking to in public from now on, since they're not going to assume we're secretly dating.

**Stan:** Don't be ridiculous. None of us care about that.

**Bill:** of course not.

**Richie:** you guys ❤️

**Eddie:** That interview makes you sound much more respectable than you actually are. 

**Richie:** aww, you read it Eds

**Eddie:** Of course I did, dipshit. It's good.

**Richie: 🤗❤️**

* * *

Ade @adrianM

Holy shit, @Trashmouth✔ is gay? Does that mean I have a shot?

Eddie K @EdKaspbrak

@adrianM No.

[Image: a selfie of Richie and Eddie. Eddie frowning at the camera like he can't quite get the angle he wants. Richie isn't even looking at the camera, his attention totally focused on Eddie, a soft smile on his face.]  
liked by **@BevMarsh, @Hanscom_ltd, @Trashmouth @Officialbilldenbrough** and **107.4k** others **  
91.3k** Retweets 

**Author's Note:**

> Because what the fandom needs is another social media AU, right?  
> Also, I totally only saw the extended cut of the film, where Eddie and Stan survive, and Eddie moves in with Richie straight after Derry....


End file.
